Our verdict · 8.5/10 Excellent
The best fit for engineering and IT teams that run agile workflows. Non-technical teams often find it heavier than Asana, Trello or monday.com.
Key takeaways
- Best for: Software and product teams.
- Strongest area: Integrations & ecosystem (9.5/10). Weakest: Ease of use (7.0/10).
- Price: Free for small teams; paid per user / month — free plan available.
- Watch out for: Steeper learning curve.
What is Jira?
Jira tracks issues, sprints and releases with Scrum and Kanban boards, roadmaps and deep workflow customisation. It is the default for many software teams and connects tightly with Confluence, Bitbucket and GitHub. A free plan covers small teams.
Jira is made by Atlassian and is reviewed here as a project management tool. It is priced on a freemium basis, and our editorial score is 8.5 out of 10, calculated from six weighted criteria.
Who it’s for — and who should skip it
Choose Jira if
- Software and product teams
- IT and technical operations
- Teams already on Confluence or Bitbucket
Not for you if
- Marketing or client-services teams wanting simplicity
- Very small non-technical teams
Key features
Plan sprints, track backlog and visualise work in progress.
Roadmaps that link epics to delivery.
Model statuses, transitions and approvals.
No-code rules for routine updates.
- Confluence
- Bitbucket
- GitHub
- Slack
- Microsoft Teams
Pros & cons
What we like
- Powerful Scrum and Kanban workflows
- Huge integration marketplace
- Free plan for small teams
- Mature permissions and reporting
Watch out for
- Steeper learning curve
- Can become cluttered without an admin
- Advanced features locked to Premium
Pricing & true cost
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Up to 10 users |
| Standard | Custom quote | — |
| Premium | Custom quote | — |
Pricing watch-out: Standard and Premium are billed per user; check Atlassian's site for current rates as they change with team size.
True cost at 5, 10 and 25 seats
Cheapest paid plan that fits each team size, from indicative list prices researched November 5, 2026 (not yet re-checked). Excludes tax, add-ons, onboarding fees and promotional discounts.
Pricing watch-outs
- Quote-only tier. Standard, Premium have no public price. Ask for a written quote that includes onboarding and support fees.
Contract questions to ask before you sign
- Does the plan auto-renew, and how many days’ notice do you need to cancel?
- Is the advertised price for annual billing? What is the month-to-month price?
- Is the first-year price a promotion? What will renewal cost, and is it capped?
- Is there a minimum number of seats, or a charge for inactive users?
- Are onboarding, implementation or premium-support fees extra?
- How do we export all our data if we leave, and in what format?
General questions for any vendor — not findings about this product. Build a full checklist with our requirements builder.
Indicative USD pricing from our research as of November 5, 2026; not yet re-checked against a live vendor pricing page. Vendors change prices and promotions often — always confirm on their website. Model your own numbers with our SaaS TCO calculator.
Score breakdown
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features & fit | 25% | 9.3 | 2.30 | |
| Ease of use | 20% | 7.0 | 1.40 | |
| Value for money | 20% | 8.4 | 1.70 | |
| Support & reliability | 10% | 7.9 | 0.80 | |
| Security & privacy | 10% | 8.9 | 0.90 | |
| Integrations & ecosystem | 15% | 9.5 | 1.40 | |
| Overall | 100% | Weighted for business software products | 8.5 | |
Security & compliance facts
| Item | Status | Question to ask Atlassian |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-factor authenticationStops most account takeovers from reused or phished passwords. | Not verified by us | Can admins enforce MFA for every user, on every plan? |
| Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)Lets you remove a leaver’s access everywhere from one place. | Not verified by us | Is SSO included on the plan we are buying, or only on enterprise tiers? |
| SOC 2 Type II reportIndependent audit of the vendor’s security controls — often required by larger customers. | Not verified by us | Can we see your current SOC 2 Type II report (under NDA if needed)? |
| ISO/IEC 27001 certificationInternational standard for running an information-security programme. | Not verified by us | Which legal entity and services does your ISO 27001 certificate cover? |
| GDPR data processing agreementNeeded if you handle personal data of people in the EU/UK. | Not verified by us | Do you offer a signed DPA and list your sub-processors? |
| HIPAA business associate agreementRequired before US healthcare businesses store protected health information. | Not verified by us | Will you sign a BAA, and on which plans? |
We have not yet verified these items for Jira against a primary source, so we don’t claim them either way. Check Atlassian’s trust or security page and ask for documents in writing.
Before you buy any project management tool
Check Jira against the same list we use for every project management tool — and confirm each point on the plan you intend to buy, not the top tier.
- Views your team prefers (board, list, timeline)
- Recurring tasks and templates
- Guest/client access pricing
- Automations on your tier
- Time tracking or integration
See every ranked option in Project Management.
Jira alternatives
Pick an alternative by what matters to you
Computed from our published scores and indicative pricing for tools in the same category as Jira. Scores are editorial; see the methodology.
Editor’s picks
An everything-app for work that packs tasks, docs, goals and chat into one place.
Polished work management for teams that need clarity on who does what, by when.
Colourful, flexible work boards that adapt to almost any process.
Head-to-head comparisons
Review history
- Scored under methodology v2.0 (six weighted criteria, computed overall score).
Jira FAQ
Is Jira free?
Yes for small teams. Atlassian's Free plan covers up to 10 users with core features.
Is Jira good for non-technical teams?
It can work, but Asana, Trello or monday.com are usually easier for marketing, operations and client teams.
Does Jira have a free plan?
Yes. Jira offers a free plan. Paid plans start at Free for small teams; paid per user / month (indicative — check the vendor for current pricing).
Who is Jira best for?
Jira is best for: software and product teams; IT and technical operations; teams already on Confluence or Bitbucket.
How is the Jira score calculated?
The 8.5/10 overall score is a weighted average of six sub-scores — features & fit, ease of use, value, support & reliability, security & privacy, and integrations — using the published weights for software products. Affiliate relationships have no input. See our methodology page for the full rubric.
What are the best alternatives to Jira?
Popular alternatives include ClickUp, Asana, monday.com. See our comparisons for side-by-side verdicts.